


Modern Vignettes

by LeenerMS



Category: Anne of Green Gables (TV 1985) & Related Fandoms, Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Growing Up, High School, No Plot/Plotless
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:34:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29315664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeenerMS/pseuds/LeenerMS
Summary: Our fav couples relationship development over the course of a few years as seen through small moments in time.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	1. September

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! After my last story I started imagining how we got there. It was all very fun for awhile and now I'm slightly stuck. But I have about 18 small little moments written and thought I might as well publish them. Come along for the ride if you'd like! Hope you enjoy!

“Aaaannnnnne” called Marilla, “I’m just heading over to the Blythe’s, I’ll be back by 6, can you get dinner started?”  
Anne thumped off her bed and padded quickly over to the staircase rifling through her mind why Marilla would be going to Gilbert’s house. Not that she needed her permission to go of course but… she might have taken her argument with Gilbert a bit far last week. He had seemed to ACTUALLY consider Oliver Kimball’s suggestion of using some of the precious and, as she reminded them, already depleting treasury to pay for a fan bus to the first away game for the football team. They weren’t even that GOOD… people could pay the 10$ needed themselves if they really wanted to attend because there was definitely a better use for that chunk of money.  
But now she was worried that somehow Marilla had caught wind of the show down. She couldn’t quite recall exactly what she said but remembered Jane’s wide eyes while watching her slowly get more and more intense while Gilbert just watched at her, by the end she didn’t think Gilbert was even debating her and just letting her vent as her voice rose higher. It was one of the reasons why he annoyed her so much, always calm and collected like a clear pool of water versus her passionate, verging on fiery, protests. But the Blythe’s were their neighbours to the north of Green Gables and Marilla and Matthew had kept good relations with them before and after Anne’s arrival. They had also been leasing their fields since Matthew passed away the previous year. 

Anne made it to the staircase and leaned out, looking down at Marilla who was wearing nice Sunday clothes and picking up a covered take-away tray and Anne frowned, thinking of a way to sus out why exactly Marilla was heading over dressed as if visiting the village Reeve… “Anything you want in particular? What are you bringing over there?” Marilla looked up at Anne with a small crease between her eyebrows tipping Anne off to feelings of preoccupied worry and reached for her bag. “This is just a pot pie those boys can keep in the freezer until they need it. John isn’t doing well again and heaven knows Gilbert never got to learn anything from his poor mother. I don’t suspect Sebastian knows too much about cooking either. I used the leftover chicken carcass so that’s gone but I think there is some ground beef thawed in the fridge.” Anne didn’t know how to respond to that. She has heard Gilbert’s dad had cancer around school and from the girls who were seemingly obsessed with him but none of their conversations happened outside of arguments over Student Council movements. She made a point of it. She was taking the Grade 12 Literature course this semester. Maybe they would argue over that as well this year. He sometimes also crashed Coffee House nights but there she ignored him in the safe space that she imagined fueled her artistic soul. Marilla was talking again.  
“Poor John hoped that this was over with when Gilbert was kid but they really can’t seem to shake that bad luck. We’re going to be spending the next little while helping them Anne.”  
“Huh?” Anne missed the part where she was required to give up some of her own free time to the person who irritated her the most out of anyone. It was already tiresome enough to see him drive up the laneway through to Green Gables fields, flashing her that exasperating smirk that seemed to mock her and a small wave. At least she got to practice turning up her nose in supreme indifference every time he passed by. Marilla was already walking out the door “Please make sure to change over the washing to the drier as well” she called “we have guests coming this weekend!”

***

Anne was OK with this if she could mind her own business, do some extra chores and then go back to her books. What she wasn’t OK with was Gilbert coming in and standing there, watching her wash dishes, while he calmly but loudly drank a glass of water. And then just came back for another one when he was done.  
“Sorry” he mumbled as he reached over for the tap “its hot out there”  
“You should get a water bottle” she replied not looking at him and he just grinned at her

True to her word Marilla had them over at the Blythe’s most weekends. While Gilbert and Bash worked to bring in the harvest, Anne looked after the kitchen and Marilla looked after Mr. Blythe. It worked nicely when they were all in their own spheres, but whenever Gilbert edged his way into her own bubble she found herself tense no matter what he was doing.  
Anne couldn’t believe what a mess three grown men made, most of her duties revolved around washing dishes that never seemed to get done. She looked anywhere but him as he filled up his glass a third time and, to her horror, her face started to burn as she felt his eyes continue to focus on the side of her face. That’s enough of this she thought, and pulled the plug, shaking the suds off her hands and left the sink to go over to the closet to get the broom.  
“Don’t bother with that now Anne, Bash and I will just be tracking in a bunch more dirt when we finish tonight; I’ll do it later” he called to her.  
Anne hung there for a minute, not sure whether to listen or choose to ignore him. Instead she replied “If I do some now, there will be less later” and started to sweep.  
“Up to you” he conceded and she chanced a glance up finding Gilbert dropping into a seat at the table, he gave her a small smile of acknowledgement, which she did decide to ignore too, and she started to sweep around him. As she worked she took a few more glances while he was preoccupied with picking the dirt from underneath his nails. She thought he looked more tired these days, eyes that were smudged with exhaustion and she’d caught him once or twice passed out on the couch in the Student Council office when she went there to study. But his mood never changed. He never snipped at some of the duller people in office with them and always ready with a parry to her lunge during class. She was almost starting to admire his perseverance considering how much she knew he was going through at home. A loud groan echoed from the upstairs and Gilbert’s head shot up, a small crease appearing between his eyebrows. Anne looked over at him and upstairs as well caught between continuing to ignore him and instinctively trying to offer some sympathy “I’m sure Marilla is being as gentle as she can” she said hesitantly and Gilbert let out a long huff of breath.  
“I know... God I know how hard it is to do some of his treatments. We’d be screwed if it weren’t for you and Marilla… but its just as hard to hear from far away as it is up close.” She wasn’t quite sure what to say but this sort of confession wasn’t one to ignore so she sat down on the other side of the table from him. Though golden afternoon light was streaming into the kitchen it was as though a dark shroud had be dropped over the sunny room. Gilbert was still looking at his hands.  
“You know when we got back from the States all those years ago I really thought Dad was invincible. You really think you’ve left it all behind and you conquered cancer or whatever. It’s like a punch to the gut when something like that crashes down on you again. Because you remember” He leaned on his elbows and pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes “You remember what the fight took from you before” and she still remained silent. When he removed his hands, his eyes were suspiciously red and he grimaced.  
“I’m sorry Anne, I shouldn’t dump this all on you” and instead of answering immediately she did what her instincts told her and just reached across the table and covered one of his hands with hers. He looked down at them and then back at her face and he broke out in a rather watery smile and she finally spoke  
“I know I talk a lot but I am also a pretty good listener” and he let out a choked gurgle of laughter and she released his hand as Marilla came down the stairs. She took one quick and sweeping assessment of the room and commented “Better go back out to help Bash Gilbert, we’ll get dinner ready for when you boys are done.” He scrubbed his hands over his face, nodded and got up walking back over to the side door. Just before he left and spun around quickly “Thanks, Anne” he said. She gave him the first smile she could remember actually letting him see and said, “Anytime Gilbert” and he nodded in acknowledgement and she could hear him starting to whistle as the screen door snapped shut.  
Marilla replaced Gilbert on the other side of Anne and opened up her agenda frowning slightly and started to talk to herself “…the fridge has almost no fresh vegetables, I could pick up a few and get a med refill the same trip… next guests arrive at 5…hmm”  
“Marilla..”  
“Yes my girl”  
“How old was Gilbert last time his dad was sick?”  
“He must have been 10 I suppose. They ran through treatment options very quickly, maybe in about a year or so and then they went down to the States for some experimental care and I suppose that was about another year. So say from 10 to 13. That’s why Gilbert is only a year ahead of you in school instead of two. It was only him and his dad back then and so he missed a year. They arrived back just after you got here, you don’t remember this at all?”  
Anne shook her head “I remember the first day I met him but nothing about why he was suddenly there” Anne prayed that Marilla wouldn’t recount that day currently. She felt ashamed now considering what he had just gone through.  
She was with Diana and a couple other kids she met from school playing in the schoolyard, Anne was still rather self conscious of her place within the group, let alone the community only having been there for a few months. When Gilbert Blythe, whom everyone was excited for to be back and that he was part of one of the oldest families in town, pulled her hair and called her Carrots she reacted instinctively from all the years of being poked and prodded in various homes and punched him in the face then ran home crying thinking she’d be cast out and sent away again. 

“I suppose you had just arrived yourself and could barely keep track of everything. My goodness how thankful I am that you ended up with us now. I really don’t know how I could manage everything these days, especially after Matthew passed” and Marilla gave her a rare and affectionate smile brushing one of the baby curls that sat on her forehead back.  
“Gilbert has some very hard days ahead of him Anne. I’m not sure who he’s friends with at school but he doesn’t have someone to lean onto like how you and I did, even if it was something we had to learn after he left us. John and I have been neighbours since we were children and were very close years ago so it’s important to me that we offer support. He doesn’t need to lease the land from us either, but he does because they can handle it. It’s a blessing that John hired Sebastian after they got back. Hopefully between those two this farm can survive.”  
Anne nodded and Marilla looked back at her agenda, managing a meager farm budget and schedule in only those who grew up on it its particular brand of frugality knew how.


	2. October

A horn blared from outside and Anne looked out the kitchen window and rolled her eyes with less spite than before, rather out of habit than feeling. She had been dreamily creating castles in the sky about perfecting her next creative writing assignment and had gotten all the way to receiving a letter of praise from Margaret Attwood herself when Gilbert’s horn brought her back down to earth with a thump. But she skipped over to the door grabbing a knit cardigan and slipping on birks before she admonished herself for being a giddy schoolgirl and composed herself to go see what he wanted.   
She supposed her and Gilbert were friends now. She could at least admit that. They still pitched battles within Student Council chambers and argued over the meaning of subtext in class but now it was becoming almost fun and she found herself agreeing with Gilbert’s points if he was arguing with someone else. Not that she would tell him that. That’s going too far.  
The windows were rolled down but the diesel engine was loud enough that she had to go right up to the door to hear him.  
“If you aren’t too busy want to come out to the north field with me? Some of the herd have wandered into your field so I need some help getting them back over” He was rubbing the back of his head, purposely messing up his hair as he did around girls all the time but his eyes were big and hopeful looking and she really wasn’t doing anything of importance at the moment.   
“How dirty will this be? Do I need to change?”  
His eyes swept down and up her body, it was a warm day so she was only wearing skinny jeans and a rather old and snug t-shirt that rode up her stomach underneath her cardigan and if she noticed his ears reddening and a slight shift of his body she did not acknowledge it to even herself.  
“Should be fine, hop in”  
This sort of thing was happening more often now. Anne was finding herself beside Gilbert after he convinced her that he needed her help with something. She didn’t think whatever she brought to the table in any of the tasks thus far was of much value but she stopped trying to resist a few weeks ago. As they bumped down the laneway she leaned back into the seat and rested knees up on the dash like she used to do in Matthew’s truck whenever she toured the farm with him. Perhaps that’s why she enjoyed this so much, it reminded her of the man who first gave her the love she craved as a child. Gilbert glanced over “You know you shouldn’t sit like that eh? If we crash into something you could be seriously injured” Anne didn’t even bother looking over at him “If you crash into something at any sort of speed right now you don’t deserve a license” she heard him laugh at that and she looked around smiling “Just looking out for you, don’t want it to become a habit”   
“I promise that when we’re driving on roads I sit properly with a seatbelt” he glanced at her before replying “That remains to be seen, I don’t think I’ve ever driven you anywhere not on the farm” They were getting closer to the north field and he leaned forward in his seat closer to the wheel as her peered into the distance “I think Bash is already there keeping things contained…”  
“What do you need me for if Bash is helping?”  
“Maybe I just like to bother you” and he flashed a wide grin at her and she rolled her eyes and focused forward as well, scanning over the cattle that needed to be herded back. 

“Queen Anne!” called Bash as they got out of the truck “I knew he’d try and grab you on the way through, I can almost always count on you being around now when Gilbert volunteers to drive past Green Gables” Anne had no idea where this “Queen” title came from, he’d started using the title ever since she started to spend more time with them, but it made her smile and blush prettily.   
“Anne if you walk towards them from that angle and I’ll go on the other side and then Blythe can take the middle here” they lined up, arms outstretched slowly encouraging the cattle back through the fence, keeping them calm lest they injure themselves. Anne loved having animals around and understood the requirements of their care but since Matthew passed away they sold most of their stock to pay bills. Bash and Gilbert had started using one of the pastures to keep it from becoming too overgrown but the only stock on their property these days were Marilla’s chickens. 

Anne wondered if the Blythe stock would be sold as well if the worst came to pass. Every day she knew Mr. Blythe was getting weaker. Gilbert and Bash were pretty close to finishing up the harvest and she supposed they wouldn’t need her and Marilla’s help nearly as much soon but she somehow doubted that their role would be over. They had finally chased the last cow through the hole and Bash and Gilbert were straightening up the rails, they pushed it up into place and the saddle would just fall down. “Looks like we got a blow out,” commented Bash “can you secure it by yourself? I need to finish up in the barn before the cattle come home” Gilbert nodded “I brought tools in the truck incase they were needed, Anne can help me” Bash’s eyes darted over to where Anne was watching and he gave her a small smile “keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn’t cut any corners”  
“I’m good at keeping him in line” she replied flashing Gilbert a bright smile  
Bash threw back his head in laughter and hopped back over to the other side “That’s what I’ve heard” and started walking back over to their barnyard  
Gilbert looked over at Anne as he walked back to the truck bed and said “You don’t need to hang around if you don’t want to, I just have to add a few support nails and maybe wire it up a bit” Anne just followed him and hopped up on hatch as he lowered it “Oh I don’t mind. It’s actually beautiful out here and I don’t really want to walk back in sandals anyways” She leaned back on her hands and shook her hair back behind her shoulders lifting her face to the sun, worshipping some of the last golden afternoons of the year. “I’m so glad we live in a world where there are Octobers” When Glibert didn’t reply she peeked over at him and he was just watching her with a slight smile but quickly looked away and reached forward into the bed to grab his supplies when she caught his eye.   
While he worked she cast an appraising eye over his back since it was turned to her. She would never admit to anyone that she found him attractive lest it make his head any bigger than it already was. She knew he was handsome, she was not blind, but she also knew he had a little posse of admirers at school that drove her absolutely mental and she wouldn’t let herself be in any way shape or form be associated with that group of girls. Even Diana betrayed her by being forthright in her assertion that he was a good-looking guy. She also spent considerable time over the years trying to convince her that he wasn’t as bad as she made him out to be and Anne supposed she was may be right about that. She cast an appraising eye over his frame. His height he had obviously inherited from his father and, according to Marilla, so did his smile and sense of humor. His rich brown curls and bright hazel eyes that matched his equally bright mind he got from his long gone mother. The broadness of his back and strength of his arms came from farm work and playing football she supposed as he wrenched hard, once more on the wire and wrapped it around itself a few more times before clipping it. There was no way he really needed her help but found she didn’t care and that it was just nice to be out back on this hill again. She didn’t have much of a reason to be out in the fields with Matthew gone.   
He turned back and used his forearm to brush his hair out of his eyes and when their eyes connected and he smiled at her she found herself blushing for being caught watching him. But he just walked over and set the tools on the hatch and jumped up to sit beside her and they both looked out over the hill watching the sun cast some of the days last rays over the village. This is why I don’t mind him anymore, she thought. She appreciated that Gilbert didn’t question anything and just seemed happy to sit and admire the calm tranquility for a moment without having to fill it with anything in particular. Her dreams that had been interrupted earlier were starting to reconstruct themselves again, dreams of going to university after high school and learning more of the world and how it ticks and being able to write to the spirit of the issue at hand, social commentary through fictitious thought. But as she sat there she started to notice that while she was flying high and Gilbert seemed to be sinking low, his eyes drifting downcast.   
“I can practically hear your feelings from here Gilbert, what’s wrong?” He smiled briefly at his knees, acknowledging her correct assessment and then hesitated a moment and shifted slightly in his seat before he answered rather dully   
“Just thinking about this farm and what’s going to happen afterwards” He raised his face to her own and she could see the lines etched into his face and all the emotions rippling across them, worry, anger, sadness and a little disbelief. Anne felt a stab of guilt. While she was dreamily thinking of the future Gilbert was obviously dreading it but she didn’t shy away from his confession and calmly took a moment to consider her reply.  
“Well,… afterwards I think you’ll still have Bash, Marilla and I… I think Fred will also be there for you. It’s not really the same, I know, but I think between all of us we can make it work, whatever you want to do… the farm will still be here… I’m also guessing that it will be yours and having a place to call yours is pretty important. Especially when you have a place as beautiful as this...” and she nodded out over the valley. He was watching her while she talked and she could tell that they hadn’t quite gotten to the root of the problem. Material things and physical maintenance were all well and good but its everything else that keeps the soul alive.  
“What was it like when Matthew died?” Anne looked back out over the valley, the sun was getting closer to the horizon, and she supposed they didn’t have much time left.  
“It was hard. Not because of death, I’ve actually known many people to die before I got here. But Matthew was someone who knew me and seemed to recognize me as a kindred spirit almost immediately. Maybe you don’t know this but Marilla and I weren’t very close until after he passed away. It was never like that for Matthew and I, he saw me as the little starved-for-affection orphan that I was and not the half-wild foster child that everyone else did. Losing him so suddenly was probably one of the worst things I’ve ever had to deal with. Because by then I really knew what it was like to lose love.” She thought carefully about what she wanted to say next. “It’s as much of a blessing as it is a curse that you’re losing your dad over such a long time” and she looked into his eyes and tried to convey the most important thing she wanted to tell him “Don’t let him go without telling him exactly how much he means to you. I wish everyday that I could tell Matthew one more time how much he meant to me” Gilbert had two silent tears in the corner of his eyes and Anne could feel her own throat closing. So instead of trying to get him to talk more about his feelings she reached up and blotted his tears and then wrapped both arms around his middle, leaning in trying as hard as she could to add the strength that he needed to his body and soul and she felt his own arms rest around her, laying his cheek on the top of her head and letting himself be supported by a friend.   
They sat like that for a few minutes until Anne could feel the chill creeping in around them and she started to loosen her hold, pushing herself back upright. Gilbert looked calmer and almost contemplative, the tension was probably still there but some had been lessened and she was grateful to have helped. He let out a big breath of air and pushed himself off the hatch and then held out a hand   
“Come on, I suppose I should get home” and she grabbed his hand and slid off herself and walked around to the passenger side. Gilbert was clearly thinking again as they drove silently back towards the farmhouse, each contemplating their own thoughts and as she looked at him out of the corner of her eye she could see him chewing his lip slightly. He stopped in the laneway beside the house and turned towards her “Our next book study is coming up for Ms Stacy, do you know what one you’re choosing?”   
“I’m not sure yet… half of me wants to branch out and maybe try Heart of Darkness or The Picture of Dorian Grey but the other half of me knows that what I really want to read is Jane Eyre for the billionth time” Gilbert laughed and replied “Well, let me know, I want to choose the same as you so we can work together and swap notes sometimes” Anne thought he looked a little pink but supposed that it might be a trick of the light and she said “You mean copy off me” and Gilbert’s smile just got wider. “I deny everything Your Honour” he said raising his right hand and Anne found herself smiling and saying “Sure Gil, I’ll let you know before class”.


	3. November

Anne and Gilbert were enclosed in the Green Gables parlour sitting contently on the rug in front of the fire while Marilla was busily preparing dinner in the kitchen creating soft sounds and delectable aromas supplying the perfect backdrop to complete some homework.   
Gilbert was leaving football practice earlier when he caught sight of Anne walking speedily towards what she had dubbed in her youth the Haunted Wood. It was a wet and bitingly cold day that only November in the Maritimes could produce and Anne had stayed late tutoring as part of her community service hours so when he pulled up beside her and asked if she wanted a ride she readily agreed to a lift home. By the time they arrived at Green Gables they were laughing over the jumbled convoluted writing styles of some of the Grade 9s she was helping so Anne told him to come in to say hello to Marilla which led Marilla to inviting Gilbert for dinner. She knew that Bash had taken John into Charlottetown for some scans and he would just be going home to a cold and empty house so Gilbert readily agreed which led them to cozily sitting with laptops, books, pens and papers in front of the fireplace.   
Anne’s neck was starting to seize up and as she stretched it to the side she felt the tightness in her back as well, so reaching out her arms she slowly reached them as high as she could and arched letting a high pitched sigh escape the back of her throat as her arms fell to the side. When she opened her eyes she saw Gilbert watching her with an entertained look on his face.  
“Getting stiff?” he asked  
“Yes, and I don’t know how you aren’t”  
“Regular stretching helps quite a bit… and I did just finish practice”  
“That makes no sense”  
“Why’s that”  
“Shouldn’t that just make you more stiff? If you just finished practice?”  
“Perhaps I’ll feel it tomorrow, should I let you know? We can make a scientific experiment of it” He was teasing her now. She could tell. And thought it was time to change to subject to try and get the upper hand again.   
“What are you working on now?” leaning over to look at his screen and felt gratified when he was his face started to redden slightly  
“Looking at schools…” he mumbled and Anne’s eyes lit up. She still had a year left before she would be applying but was fascinated by anyone’s thoughts on the matter. Years before she was doubtful that she’d make it through high school without being interrupted by life, caught in an undertow, now she was full of ambition. Just when one seemed to be the height of it all another one appeared just before her.  
“Isn’t it wonderful to think of all we still get to do and try to achieve in our lives? Just when I think life is perfect and I don’t want anything to change I learn something I didn’t know before and a whole other world just opens up to me. It makes life so much more interesting and beautiful, just knowing that you can always be learning something new?” Anne was getting lost in a bright future and it was times like these around her that Gilbert felt excited about the future again, that he looked forward to tomorrow instead of dreading it. He could readily drink in that all she was giving any day but on dreary days such as this with a cold house to go home to, it was a cup a sunshine spilling over.  
“Oh I’m sorry Gilbert! I’m rambling again, you really have to stop me when I get like this”… he just shook his head a little and replied “I don’t mind…”   
“Okay…” and she paused “What schools are you looking at? Or what programs?” Gilbert angled his laptop towards her displaying the website tabs. Across the top she could see four schools: Redmond University, University of PEI, St Francis Xavier and one surprise, the University of Toronto. That seemed out of the general theme and she glanced up at Gilbert who was talking again looking at his screen with her.  
“You can apply to three schools for free, after that you have to pay a fee for any extra. It’s not much but I’ll probably just apply to three for now… I’m not sure what to do quite yet… I’ll apply to Redmond for sure, seems close enough to home but far enough away to try something else, St FX’s football team told me to apply and that I could probably play for them on scholarship if my marks were any good” he flashed a pleased looking smile in her direction and Anne rolled her eyes good naturedly “I’m not really interested in living in Charlottetown, doesn’t seem quite far enough and too much of the same so I’m looking at U of T…”  
“Which is entirely half way across the country” Anne looked at him with an amused smile.  
“It’s one of the best schools in the country too”  
“If you hate hanging out with me that much you can just tell me Gilbert” she teased  
“Why would you miss me?” he replied turning it back onto her with ease. To her alarm her face started pinkening at his last statement so she laughed it off and got up to throw another log on the fire. She would miss him, she discovered. She’d gotten so used to spending so much time with him and was just realizing that he would be leaving next September while she had another year to go.  
But she sat down and resumed their conversation “There must be more to U of T than just ‘best in the country’, Redmond is also arguably one of the best” Gilbert leaned back and drew his legs up and rested back on his tailbone and hands as he thought about his reply.   
“It’s actually the Medical school that attracts me to U of T” he murmured looking into the flames again but not really seeing them “They’re really highly ranked and have some pretty interesting partnerships with various research teams in the city. I don’t know if that’s where I’ll go now but I think it might be where I want to end up.”  
“I didn’t know you wanted to be a doctor” He looked back at her and when their eyes connected she felt like she was seeing an entirely new part of him, thoughts that flowed deep in his mind that he didn’t let surface too often given the fragility of his life.  
“Beyond the obvious impact it’s had on me I like the idea of fighting for something. And to be able to leave a mark behind me as well, something that contributes to and honours all of those who came before us and got us here and then to pass it on and help those in the future. They’re making new discoveries every day and I’d like to be a part of it and add whatever I can to the world.”  
“I think that’d wonderful Gil” Anne’s eyes were shining and earnest “I love that you feel so strongly about why you want to study something” He laughed a little embarrassed at exposing himself about something he’d never mentioned before to anyone else.  
“So the plan is to get a B.Sc. and then attend Medical School?” he nodded and continued “Ya, but I do think heading straight to Toronto might be biting off more than I can chew, I’m a still farm boy at heart you know… What about you Miss Shirley, what lies in your future?” Anne leaned back onto an elbow and let her hair stream down, pooling onto the carpet as she combed it with her fingers thoughtfully and Gilbert had to physically restrain himself by clamping his hands around his knees to stop them from taking a handful of it himself to rub between his fingers. The vibrant waves were shining, reflecting the warmth of the fire making it almost irresistible. Just like the sunny day he met her.  
“I’m not sure yet” she said dreamily “I suppose I want to add something to the world as well… Sometimes I want to focus on teaching or social work or something like that, being able to help lost children like I was myself, other times I just want to focus on writing to maybe reach a broader audience on things that I find important. Whatever it is I want to be able to touch someone’s soul and show them how beautiful life can be” She then tossed her hair over her shoulder, looked up a Gilbert and reached a hand out in front of her “I can see life stretching like a road before me now, it didn’t used to but now its wide and wonderful, somewhere down there, when I leave Avonlea for school, there is a bend it in. I don’t know what is beyond that bend but I don’t mind not knowing anymore. Half the fun since coming to Green Gables is looking forward to the future. And I want to share that.” Gilbert just sat and listened her unable to tear his eyes away. Somehow she always did this too him. Her little speeches continually fascinated him but being on the receiving end of one that was filled with awe and enchantment for the beauty of just being and living the moment was completely different than being berated by her. When she finally looked away he realized he was still staring at her and cleared his throat.  
“Erm, so do you think you’ll go to school after” Anne gave a tinkling little giggle “Oh yes, I think I have a lot more to learn about –isms and –ologies before I can make any sort of sense in the real world. But I’ll probably just go to Redmond if I can, it’s a good school and isn’t too far from Marilla”.   
“Anne! Can you come here and set the table please?” Marilla was calling from the kitchen “Just a sec Marilla!” she called back before sighing and starting to shuffle papers together and save and close her work and Gilbert slowly started to do the same. He was so content hidden away in this room he had started to forget the problems that were waiting for him out there. No matter what dreams he may have right now he still had to get through tomorrow. On that thought he pulled out his phone to check and see if he got anything from his father or Bash. He did have a text from his dad

6:35pm: No change. Leaving the hospital soon. Will be home around 8

Gilbert didn’t expect anything more but it was disappointing nonetheless. He stood up and stepped a little closer to the fire and resolved to absorb as much warmth as he could from Anne before making the trek back home to be ready for his father when he arrived and hopefully pass a little of it onto him.


	4. December

Gilbert hadn’t been in class for a week. Marilla had warned Anne that the end was nearing. All her texts to him were replied to with short answers that didn’t say much so she was getting most of her information from Marilla who kept close contact with Bash about John’s condition. She opened her locker and looked at her phone again. No update again. At lunchtime Josie had been crying. News that Gilbert’s father was very close to passing on had circulated the school somehow and someone as well known and as popular as Gilbert was the reaction was felt everywhere. She just had English literature left in the day and decided that she would pick up his assignments from that class and head over to his house afterwards to check on him. As she zipped up her backpack Diana appeared by her side.  
“Ruby is crying now, all it took was hearing a few seniors from the football team talking about if they should pool their money for an arrangement when the time came” she commented. Anne grimaced slightly  
“Poor girl, she really does have a very sympathetic soul” she observed   
“How are you feeling Anne, of everyone whose cried today I feel like you deserve to the most and I haven’t seen you shed a tear” asked Diana looking searchingly at Anne’s face  
“It’s strange because I am very sad about it and I will really miss Mr. Blythe. He was always nice to me from the very start, even when Marilla made me go over to their house and apologize when I was eleven he just laughed. But the last time I saw him we had a long chat about poetry of all things and he seemed… peaceful? I suppose. Like he really didn’t want to focus on the fact that he was dying. And then he just told me to keep an eye on Gilbert and I said I would and then we said goodbye.”  
“Have you seen Gilbert lately?”  
“No, not for a week but…”  
“Anne! Hey Anne!” Fred Wright was quickly approaching her and she turned to focus on him as he walked up. He darted a quick look at Diana “Hey Diana…” and then continued  
“Are you going over to Blythe’s after school?”  
“Yes I think so, I’ll bring him everything we did in Lit this week”  
“Ok cool…” he paused for a moment unsure of how to continue, “Um, can you let me know how he is? I haven’t heard from him for awhile… and me and the guys… um..” Anne was well aware of how most boys don’t like expressing their feelings unless it exploded out of them unchecked so she let him off.  
“Ya of course, I’ll message you. I don’t think I have your number though”   
“Oh ya sure…” and he darted another glance at Diana who was watching the exchange silently “give me your phone and I’ll punch it in”. Anne made a new contact and passed her phone over to Fred who typed it in quickly and then passed it back.  
“So umm…” Fred was hesitating slightly “Billy is having a football party this weekend… I know… I know” he said hastily as Anne made a face “But you guys should come if you have nothing else going on, both of you.” He said darting another glance at Diana “Try and get Gilbert out and doing something maybe… you know” Anne didn’t think the Gilbert would want to do anything this weekend with anyone but she also supposed that wasn’t really why Fred was asking.   
“I’ll ask him and let you know” she said and Fred looked relieved as if his little ruse actually worked and she couldn’t resist continuing a little slyly   
“Maybe Diana could just go and fill me in later on all the fun” and Fred swiftly went beet red and said “Uh sure…” and managed to look Diana in the face for a full 10 seconds, long enough to say “you should definitely come, I’ll hang out with you” and before she could reply he said “talk to you later Anne” and hoisted his backpack more securely on his shoulder and sped off.   
“Anne! I’m not going to that party without you!” exclaimed Diana and Anne just smiled demurely at her friend and said “Up to you my dearest, but I think Fred would take care of you if you did. Plus Jane will definitely be there.” And then Anne shifted her bag to her shoulder as well  
“I really have to get to class now, are you going home for spare?”  
Diana was looking distractedly after Fred down the hall “Yes I think so, but text me too later?” and Anne nodded before heading off down the hall.

***

Marilla wasn’t home when Anne arrived there. So decided to continue over the fields to the Blythe’s and the spied Marilla’s car parked in their laneway. That wasn’t unusual, but what was unusual was the black sleek looking machine that was beside it. With her heart in her throat she quickened her pace until she got to the front door and knocked. Marilla answered and looked at her searchingly up and down as if assessing her emotional state but didn’t look surprised to see her and stood back to let her in. As Anne entered the front hall she could see down into the kitchen that Mr. Spurgeon, Moody’s dad and local funeral director, was sitting at the kitchen table. But Marilla just said in a low voice  
“Gilbert’s upstairs, perhaps you could go check on him” Anne looked up at Marilla and swallowed, nodding she slowly started to climb the stairs not really knowing what sort of atmosphere she was approaching. She knew where Gilbert’s room was but she had never been in there herself. The door was closed so she knocked softly before opening it slowly. He was sitting on his bed, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed before him but he looked up and gave her a weak smile of acknowledgement before resuming looking off in space so she sat down at his desk chair and looked around, casting for something to say.   
She cleared her throat “Where is Bash?” Gilbert shrugged  
“Probably outside somewhere. I don’t think he’s taking it really well. Dad looked out for him the past couple years, basically like a father to him so he’s probably working”  
“What about you, how are you feeling?” she asked softly. Gilbert shrugged again  
“Obviously knew this was coming.... Doesn’t feel any easier though” and he used a hand to swipe a stray tear away.  
“Marilla sent me up here when I couldn’t answer any of Mr. Spurgeon’s questions… I’m so pathetic” and Anne felt a little panic rise and got up to go sit on the bed with him  
“No!... You’re not pathetic… I don’t think anyone would be able to handle this easily…” and she put a comforting hand on knee. He didn’t react except to close his eyes and lean his head back against the wall. He took a deep shuddering breath and let it out slowly.  
“Anne can you talk to me about literally anything else right now?”  
“Um. Yes. Uh Fred was asking about you today. Wanted to tell you to come to a party at the Andrew’s this weekend-“   
“No offense to Fred” he cut her off with a slight edge “but I really don’t think I’ll be going to any parties this weekend”  
“I.. no. Of Course. Um. Did Marilla tell you she has two distant cousins coming to stay with us in January?” He opened his eyes and looked at her shaking his head slightly so she nodded and continued  
“Ya, I guess the Keith’s are pretty little. Only about 6 I think. Their mom was married to Marilla’s deadbeat cousin and she passed away…” Anne bit her lip. Maybe this wasn’t the best topic either but Gilbert let out a breathless laugh  
“God Marilla just seems to pick up strays everywhere… You… me… now these two” and Anne let out a choked slightly hysterical giggle tears threatening to spill over in her own eyes now as a slight feeling of relief rushed through her.  
“I convinced her that she needed to take them in. She didn’t know whether or not to but I regaled her with horror stories of foster homes and she didn’t trust her cousin to actually look after them either… they won’t be coming till just before Christmas. There’s some legal paperwork that has to happen before they can come live with us.” Anne smile weakly “It’s a boy and a girl, twins, Davy and Dora… its been fun thinking of things to do with them but Marilla says I’ll have my work cut out for me as well.” Gilbert was sitting up straighter now and was sitting cross legged before her so Anne shifted to mirror him on the end of his bed.  
“It’s funny you know? I can never seem to escape twins. I stayed with a neighbour when my parents first died while they looked for any family. But she was old and couldn’t keep me. The first house I went to had twins. And then when I was a bit older, I looked after two sets of twins in another house. It was kind of crazy to make a 10-year-old look after a bunch of toddlers but now I’m actually looking forward to having Davy and Dora around. Maybe it’s just the fact that I know its permanent. I won’t be moved and neither will they so I feel like I can actually help them, maybe provide a little bit of the stability I never had when my parents weren’t there anymore.” Gilbert looked up into her face and she paused while he seemed to gather a thought.  
“You’ve definitely helped me during this all. I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t here the past four months” Anne filed that precious acknowledgment deeply into her heart. Knowing that the actions she took did make a difference and that she could help by just being there so she gave him a smile.  
“I’m glad…” Gilbert didn’t continue and was sitting silently again. Just sort of staring at her without really seeing her. So she decided to bring him back to the present once more.  
“I brought your Lit stuff too.” She said reaching for her bag and his eyes focused back in on her “How’d we do on the last crit?” Anne set her shoulders and lifted her nose in her queenish and rather smug manner that she used to employ against Gilbert all the time before they were friends “Well I got a 93, I haven’t looked at yours” and he started to smile and held out his hand for his paper. Flipping to the back he read out loud   
“’Gilbert, this is one of the finest paper’s I’ve ever read. Your analogy is striking and bang on. Congratulations’ and I got a 95” Anne let her mouth drop open  
“Ms Stacy did NOT write that!” and she went to grab his paper back but Gilbert just held it out of reach”  
“She sure did..” and he flipped it open and showed her that she did indeed write something but she couldn’t tell exactly what. He could just be purposely riling her up… but she could also see that a bright red 95 was circled beside it. So Anne just coyly turned her head and replied  
“Well it looks like working with me paid off then!” And she was rewarded with a slight laugh from him. She smiled and they settled back into the bed and it twanged as Anne shifted to holding her knees and it echoed over the silence settling in the room once more and she could physically see Gilbert was starting to flag again. The joy of the moment passing as reality made itself known once more.  
“Anne I don’t know how to go on without my dad.” He said rather bleakly looking into her face, flickering around and desperately searching for something, something that she didn’t quite how to provide either but she reached forward and grasped his hands and he held on tight while she replied  
“You just do Gilbert. And every day you just keep going and someday things will feel right again”.


	5. January

Anne was trudging through the north field, pulling a sled behind her that carried Dora Keith while Diana followed in her wake. Dora was a prim and quiet little girl who went along with everything you suggested and wasn’t particularly keen on being outside in the cold, while her brother Davy could, as he was presently, be found cheerfully chattering beside Anne about everything and nothing at all hours no matter what they were doing. Since arriving at Green Gables he stuck to her like glue and seeing a little a bit of herself in the mischievous affection driven young boy Anne made a point of fulfilling some of his most basic childhood desires that she felt everyone should experience. Marilla thought Anne was getting a head start on spoiling him but she really couldn’t deny him the pleasure of sledding even if it was bitingly cold and she should be starting exam preparation. Besides, she had convinced Gilbert to meet them out here and invited Fred along too. Since his father had passed away she had a tough time getting him to do anything besides schoolwork and she was trying to get him to hang out with friends again. He was withdrawing within himself and nothing she had done seemed to be able to stop it. At least Davy was good at taking the edge off things.  
“Hey guys!!!” Davy shrieked, excited to be able to hang out with the “big boys” he started running as fast as his little legs could carry him through the snow. Anne looked up and saw Gilbert and Fred standing at the top of the hill watching them trudge upwards. Fred hastily came towards them and shot a look towards Diana before taking the sled string from Anne to pull Dora the rest of the way up, Anne hid a smile in her scarf. Fred was a pretty bashful guy and couldn’t seem to get a grip and just ask Diana out. She wondered what he was planning on doing after he graduated this year. “Thanks Fred” she called and looked up at Gilbert who was just staring rather blankly out over the hill with the slight frown that was permanently on his brow these days. “Hey Gil, thanks for coming out to join us” he looked around when she addressed him personally and smiled briefly though it didn’t quite reach his eyes and then swung them down to look at Davy  
“Couldn’t let Davy down could I?” and Davy grinned happily up at him. Marilla had invited Bash and Gilbert over for Christmas dinner where the twins met them and ever since that evening Bash was taking Davy around on his farm chores every once in awhile, Anne supposed Davy talked their ears off just as much as her own.   
“Are you gonna sled with me n’ Anne Gil??” He asked hopefully. Anne glanced over at Dora who looked frightened at being left alone with adults she didn’t know at the top so Anne replied “How about I go down with you and Dora first Davy and then we can switch it up a bit eh?”   
“I brought a sled too” interjected Fred and they all looked round at him so he started to turn red again and didn’t seem to know what to say next so Anne took control of the situation.  
“Ok, how about this, I’ll go down with Dora first and Davy you can go with Gilbert, is that alright my dears?” She addressed the question to both kids but really looked at Dora while Davy hopped up and down chanting “YA YA YA YA YA” slowly getting himself more worked up and Dora nodded shyly at Anne.   
“Gil is that ok” she looked questioningly up at Gilbert who had been silent for most of the interaction thus far and he just nodded at her and motioned Davy to come with him as he took the second sled from Fred.  
As Anne pushed off she felt her spirits rise with her stomach rushing down the hill, it really was the perfect day for this sort of thing and she could hear Davy shrieking with excitement behind them. She looked around smiling once they made it to the bottom and saw that Davy and Gilbert had crashed right before they made it all the way down and was gratified to hear them both laughing as Gilbert lifted them out of the bank they had created and brushed snow of their faces.   
Davy recovered quickly and just shouted “I want to go again!” and started running up the hill as fast as his little legs could carry him. Dora silently started to follow him but with more enthusiasm than before with an excited smile on her face leaving Anne and Gilbert to pull the sleds back up. She glanced over at him as they climbed and she was relieved to see that the lines in his forehead had lessened substantially and even if he wasn’t talking he seemed to have made it back to the present. 

They spent a pleasant couple hours going up and down the hill. The four teenagers remembering the whimsical joy of being 6 years old again, sharing with the twins a wintery first experience. Davy was calculative and persistent in his approach on how to get going the fastest and demanded a ride with at least everyone once before he could decide who was the swiftest. When it became apparent that he, Gilbert and Fred couldn’t all fit on one sled together since they kept sliding off and crashing before they could really get going he declared that he, Anne and Gilbert would be “quick enough” since Diana and Dora were both too timid to go very fast. Gilbert arranged himself in the back and Davy settled in the front and as Anne looked down at Gilbert on the sled before her, finding her spot between the boys, their eyes connected and something passed between them that she firmly stamped down and ignored as she landed between his legs with Davy in front of her. She sat back gingerly and jolted a little inside whenever his arms came around her waist to grip the reins. Gilbert leaned forward into her a bit and asked “Ready?” right behind her ear, sending warm breath swirling across her cheek, she just nodded and started to thrust the sled forward before they swiftly glided down at the fastest speed Davy could hope for leaving her stomach somewhere up on the top of the hill. 

Anne suggested they all go back to Green Gables and make hot chocolate and while Gilbert seemed to hesitate Fred pulled him to the side for a quick conference with him and they both glanced over at Diana who was straightening Dora’s hat off her face so Anne strayed back letting Fred and Diana take the lead. Fred was built like an ox so Davy was being pulled on one sled behind him while Dora was nodding off on the sled Gilbert was pulling.   
“I wonder if Fred will finally managed to ask her out” Anne commented. The couple were far enough ahead that Anne and Gilbert could only hear murmured voices and nothing of their conversation. Gilbert glanced up from where he was watching his feet towards the two.  
“I think so. He was just waiting for the right moment” Anne smiled and then sighed “I suppose I should be happy for Diana but all I am is a little jealous”  
“Oh?” he replied “Why’s that?”  
“He’s stealing my best friend!” and Gilbert laughed  
“Though I guess I can just hang out with you since my best friend and your best friend will be busy with each other” she sighed. She kept walking thinking about how much things would be different if she couldn’t count on Diana whenever she was lonely and had gone a few steps before she realized Gilbert hadn’t said anything so she looked over at him.  
“What’s on your mind?”  
Gilbert took a moment before replying and looked up and across the fields  
“I actually won’t be around for the next little bit either.” he said quietly. Anne felt her heart fall a tiny bit and he looked back over to her, his eyes distressed.  
“I can’t stay here Anne. I need to get out… At least for a little bit. Every single day I can’t not think of my dad when I'm around here. And now I keep thinking of my mom too… and I just.” he let out a huge breath “Need a break.”  
“I’ve spent basically half a year stressed the fuck out over something that I couldn’t control, practically drowning me. You, Bash and Marilla were basically the only reason I could keep my head above water and now… now that its over… I want to do something… anything other than just sit here and remember what I used to have. I can't pretend that everything's alright.... that I'm alright”  
Anne listened through his outburst. She couldn’t blame him for needing a change of scenery but thought maybe she should ask some practical questions.  
“Who will look after your farm, didn’t your dad leave it to you?” he nodded and replied  
“Bash of course, Dad and I had a long talk before he passed away and agreed to add him as an investor or partner I guess. He knew I didn’t really want to farm my whole life but Bash does. He’s practically a brother to me anyways. He’s been around since we got back from the states all those years ago. I technically own the house but Bash has control of all the fields and most of the stock.” This made sense to Anne. She even had a notion that this had happened based on how much Marilla consulted with him verses Gilbert.   
“What will you do about school? Can you just leave with a semester still to go?” he gave a rather harsh laugh.  
“I’m 18 already Anne, I turned 18 last October. Legally I’m an adult and there’s no one to protest whether or not I attend anymore” Anne bit her lip, he was right of course but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t graduate and said so  
“Gilbert what about all your plans? You were going to be a doctor? Don’t you still want to achieve those things anymore?” He looked over at her rather desperately  
“It’s not forever Anne. This is just something I need to do now before I completely lose my mind. I’m doing it for my plans. To get my head back on straight”  
She could feel her own worry lines in her forehead and the tension that was radiating off Gilbert she could feel being absorbed into her own body. She knew he wasn’t happy right now. He could probably barely concentrate in school. She wasn’t convinced that this was the best course of action but if he had made up his mind it wasn’t her job to convince him otherwise. Maybe it would help in the end.   
“Where will you go? When are you leaving” Gilbert let out a deep breath as if the worst was over.  
“I’m not sure yet. Probably just after exams. There’s an organization I’ve found, Operation Groundswell. They do volunteer work and are reputable with local governments and NGOs in different countries. I might do one of their programs and they said if I do well and I like it I could probably help host a program. I have some money saved up for the initial trip and then I can re-evaluate then. I don’t want to do one of those weird white-savior-complex modern colonial missions. I just want to work on something that could make a difference. Focus my energy on something. But I can’t stay here.”  
He really sounded like he had made up his mind to go. She chewed on her lip. They were getting closer to Green Gables and she knew he would clam up again when they were around everyone and he could fade into the background.   
“Have you told Bash yet?”  
“No but I think he knows something is up. He’s caught me looking at the website a few times. He’s been a lot happier since you guys got Davy and Dora. He’ll be alright by himself for a bit” Anne could acknowledge how much more interesting life had been since Davy and Dora turned up and they both glanced back at Dora who was now fast asleep on the sled, lulled by the steady pull and low light… she was looking forward to getting to know the kids but she just knew it wouldn’t be the same without him as a part of their little posse.   
“I’ll miss you Gil,” she admitted softly and he stopped to watch her confession  
“We all will. You will keep in contact when you go won’t you” Gilbert looked thoughtfully into her face before he replied “Of course.” Then he started grinning and resumed walking  
“God it must have been hard for you to admit that” he laughed and Anne’s face started to burn with more than just cold and she struggled to keep match with his pace again “How many years did you practically ignore me for? Five? I can’t believe you managed to say that” as he he strode forward more purposely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's probably the end of what you could call Part 1! Part 2 may take a bit longer to be uploaded because I'm taking a small vacation next week so I don't know how much uploading/editing I'll be doing. Part 2 has shorter chapters.
> 
> Operation Goundswell is an actual thing. I had one friend work for them and another did a few trips with them too.


	6. February

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters will be slightly shorter than the last ones!

From: A.Shirley@northshorehs.ed.ca  
To: G.J.Blythe@northshorehs.ed.ca  
February 12 3:40pm

Greetings World Traveler!

I suppose you aren’t quite a world traveler yet, Bash came by to pick up Davy last weekend and mentioned that you had made in Toronto and took a few days there meeting with the Operation Goundswell team before heading off on one of their tours today? Tomorrow? Bash didn’t seem too sure. Whenever you do you’ll let us know you made it safely right? I know you’re an adult and all such things but from personal experience Rachel Lynde cannot stop talking to Marilla about you. Please put a girl out of her misery and respond so she stops bothering me too. On that note: it would be easier to keep track of you if you just started an Instagram so we could see what you’re up to. Then I could live vicariously through you and experience all the wonderful things that you get to see and do as well!

Did you stop by the University of Toronto before you left? Are you still considering it eventually?

Please write back!  
Anne

From: G.J.Blythe@northshorehs.ed.ca  
To: A.Shirley@northshorehs.ed.ca  
February 25 7:15am

Anne, 

Sorry about the late response. I don’t go online that often here and I don’t have data on my phone but I promise to respond whenever I get the chance. I got to Peru the 15th, got sorted with OGS and then pretty much got on a boat down the Amazon that took us to the largest city in the world inaccessible by road, Iquito. We’ll be here for a while. Tell Rachel Lynde that if she can forgive the evils of social media she can keep tabs on me by following my instagram: @GilBlythe that’s right, ask and you shall receive. Easy enough handle to find right? I don’t know how much I’ll post but anything interesting I’ll try and document. 

You didn’t ask but I can hear the question anyways. I feel better I think. It feels good to be moving at least. And be surrounded by people who don’t feel the need to ask me how I am every 10 minutes. This group seems good which is helpful since we have about 30 more days with one another. I’m one of the youngest but sometimes feel like the oldest. 

Gil

From: G.J.Blythe@northshorehs.ed.ca  
To: Seb.La.Croix.@gmail.com  
February 25 7:50am

Bash,  
Just a quick note for you. I emailed Anne as well. I made it fine and will be around Peru for at least the next 30 days. I might end up staying here after to help look after the next group who come through. I’ll check in when I can, we don’t have access to a lot of internet. Feel free to spam me with farm business. I’m sure you know not to wait around for my response for anything you might want to do but I’m happy to hear about it anyways. 

Gilbert

PS I’ll keep Trinidad in mind, would you be able to come down too?


	7. March

Anne opened up her email on her laptop in the Library and scanned through the email reminders for schoolwork deadlines and her high school’s newsletters. There was another Coffee House coming up. Somehow she knew that the flavour would be off for those events when she didn’t have anyone to focus her energy on. When she and Gilbert were not friends, she would tell herself that she didn’t care he was in the room and would use that energy in her oration, feeling validated in the congratulations from peers at the end of the night while firmly ignoring him. When they became friends it was always Gilbert that she looked to for an honest critique afterwards. She would never tell him what piece she was doing beforehand so he would provide an authentic reaction.   
She hadn’t heard from him since February even though she had responded to his email. She had also noticed that he didn’t answer any questions about U of T. And she knew he was online occasionally, adding photos to Instagram. There were about 15 people in one of the group photos, all standing with dirty and sweaty. They were obviously working on something but Gilbert didn’t provide the details. At least he looked content with some life back in his face. It felt strange to be going through the same motions as before, trudging to school, hearing the bell, sitting through class and then heading to Student Council meetings. Gilbert gave up his Presidency when he left and Winifred Rose took over as the sitting Vice. Winnie was from a wealthy family that had a home in White Sands. She was poised, beautiful and clever, if a little condescending at times. Anne supposed she was good and just and capable, but she just lacked a sense of humour that ran so vibrantly through Gilbert. Anne was thinking of running as Secretary for her senior year and Winnie was encouraging her to pursue it and said she would help her even. She was thankful for the direction and advice… but sometimes felt as though Winnie was just doing it as a little power game that she was playing. Anne couldn’t tell if it was because she just liked being in control or wanted control over her specifically. Either way Anne just knew that it would be more fun if Gilbert were helping her instead.   
Priscilla Grant was dropping into the seat next to Anne. 

“How is my titian haired goddess today?” Anne smiled coyly over her shoulder at her friend. Pris was from one of the neighbouring communities that all conglomerated into North Shore High School but they had bonded over their love of reading and spent half of their grade 9 year in the Library.   
“As earthly as ever compared to Venus” she replied. Priscilla was a tall golden haired beauty with rich brown eyes, the more muscular counterpart of Winnie for their year. Anne loved to compliment all her girl friends and had gushed about Priscilla’s loveliness before.   
“Cabanel’s Venus has red hair” pointed out Priscilla. Priscilla also saw right through Anne’s compliments of her friends; she believed her friends overly beautiful because she saw herself as plain. Anne laughed and commented flicking her hair back “I’d say its more auburn while mine stubbornly refuses to be anything other than red. It’s impossible to be godly with red hair and freckles”.  
“You think too little of yourself… Are you ready for Law? I think we’re getting our next assignment today, do you want to be partners if it comes up?” Priscilla was asking while Anne collected up her possessions.  
“Ya definitely. God I hope Billy skips again today. How the hell do you fail Canadian Law? We live here!”  
“Why does he hate on you so much?”  
“Honestly? I have no idea why. We got along fine before high school but its was like I turned 14 and stepped one foot in this school and he couldn’t stand me anymore. It makes zero sense. Thank God he’s leaving after this year… if he passes everything. Ruby, Jane, Diana and I used to always be at each others houses but now I obviously avoid going over to the Andrews unless it’s Jane’s birthday or something.”  
“Speaking of which have you decided on what to do for your birthday?!”  
“Not yet! But I’ll probably invite all of you over. Plus Cole Mackenzie. Do you know him? He moved here in Grade 9 and we took Art together. He comes to Coffee House a lot.” Priscilla shook her head. Priscilla was an athletic girl. Most of her free time was taken up with the rep girl’s hockey team she was on outside of school but had issues with them because they knew she was bi and wouldn’t get very close with her. They started walking out of the Library together heading up to class still exchanging ideas on fun activities they could get up to in mid-March. Pris is such a gem of a girl thought Anne. While Diana would probably always be her first and foremost friend, the first one whom she knew she could share secrets and dreams and they wouldn’t be twisted and used against her when she least expected it like how it was in some foster homes. Priscilla was a different sort of kindred spirit. She had ambition and drive like Anne herself. She wanted to try new things and push herself towards goals while Diana seemed to have no desire beyond what their small community could offer. Anne fancied herself having a small crush on Priscilla at one point in the past year as well. While she had firmly come to the conclusion that she was confusing desire with envy of Priscilla’s golden looks and confident attitude she still hadn’t quite come to the conclusion on whether she could actually have honest to goodness crushes on girls. So she had said nothing.

Anne’s good mood was swiftly jerked from under her feet when they walked into their classroom she immediately felt Billy’s eyes zero in on her. She held her head high but as she tried to sweep past to her seat and she could hear him sniggering “No wonder Blythe left, no ass just a long back” so she snipped back “Maybe you failed Law because you still don’t understand sexual harassment Billy” and while his face went stoney and complexion turned pink he had the audacity to gaslight her and not even have the courage to face her when he said “Don’t think anyone was talking to you freckles”. Anne’s temper was rising and opened her mouth to retort angrily but then Mr Philips just called the class to order booming out “SILENCE PLEASE” and she shut her mouth. She’d been down this path with both of them before. How useless was a Law teacher that didn’t even both trying to uphold it?


	8. April

Diana and Anne were enclosed in Diana’s room, the day had been warm and there was a promise of spring in the air so the girls were in high spirits. Anne had brought Dora over to play with Minnie May Barry and then ended up staying with Diana to entertain the girls since Mr. and Mrs. Barry had gone to Charlottetown for the day. Now Marilla had picked up Dora and Anne and Diana were deciding whether or not they should go to Tillie’s party when Diana’s parents got home within the hour. It would probably be cold and wet no matter how nice the day was but there would certainly be a bonfire and Fred said he would drive them. Three months into their relationship and Anne could feel Diana pulling away from her slightly. Diana was still the same, rosy cheeked, sympathetic, raven haired beauty that Anne adored from the start but it was as if Diana had stepped through an archway into a separate world and although they still walked side by side, she was always just slightly removed by a small divide that separated them in a few lived experiences versus what were still dreams. Presently, she was eyeing Anne thoughtfully with her keen eye for fashion and putting together a look.

“Hmm. I definitely like that green fitted turtleneck you’re wearing, it really brings out your eyes. Probably not warm enough though… Here!” and she rifled through her closet and tossed a light down Patagonia vest over to her “Wear that with your matching knit hat and mitts and you’ll stay warm. Those jeans show off your legs perfectly and the boots you wore here are very country chic.” Anne fingered the vest delicately. It was rather expensive and she was a little afraid of having a very “Anne” moment and destroying it. All it would take was standing too close to the fire and she could put holes in it. It was not the sort of thing the usual local farm family could afford, especially one made up of adopted children like hers was but Diana’s father was a property owner in town. In fact, half the shops downtown he held the lease agreements for. Their orchard was more for fun rather than living off their exports as they did in centuries past. 

“Are you sure I should wear this? Didn’t your parents basically just get you this for Christmas?” Diana shrugged. “The Aritzia sweater was more expensive and I’ll probably wear that. Sit down in front of me here and I’ll curl your hair”  
“So we are going?”   
“Ya I think we should. I’ll text Fred and tell him to pick us up around 8” Anne sat down throwing her hair behind her, titling her head back and closing her eyes as Diana started to comb through it with her fingers. Anne hated people touching her without permission but loved giving and receiving physical affection from her friends and family. Sometimes she felt like she was too demanding and difficult to understand what was and wasn’t allowed but her contradictory feelings all stemmed from the back and forth of her childhood so she tried to forgive herself. Plus who wanted to be touched by relative strangers anyways? Diana was starting to curl her strands around her straightener when she started talking again. 

“Anne could I ask a favour?” Anne opened her eyes and looked in the mirror but her friends face was hidden, concentrating on the curls she was creating. So Anne responded slowly “Yessss but what’s the favour?”  
“If anyone asks can you tell them I’m staying with you at your place tonight?” Anne waited until Diana’s eyes flashed into her own before she responded again.  
“I can… but where are you really staying”  
“Fred’s” and Anne turned in her seat to look Diana in the face.  
“Did he ask you to stay over?” Diana gave a brief but pleased and secretive smile   
“No, he was telling me his parents asked him to look after the farm this weekend because they wanted to have a night off for the first time in, like 17 years I guess. Fred seemed pretty happy that they trusted him actually, and I asked him if I could come stay with him for the night” Anne was chewing on her lip while Diana told her this. It could mean anything… really. She wouldn’t know if she didn’t ask but wasn’t sure if that was prying too much into Diana’s business. She’d shared everything up to this point if not in detail, the basic actions. She knew Diana was looking to take things even further… this just seemed so… terribly grown up. To actually stay over in a boy’s bed and everything that it suggested. But she, Anne Shirley, was 17 as would be Diana in a few months. Age of consent in Canada was tiered and Diana and Fred well within it and old enough to make their own decisions. She should just be a supportive friend. She put her hand on Diana’s knee.  
“Of course I can cover for you if you need me to… but I have to ask… do you think you’re ready for sure? For whatever may happen? It’s not that I don’t believe you are… I just have to ask…because I care about you.” Two bright spots appeared on Diana’s cheeks and her eyes were shining with a hidden excitement Anne hadn’t noticed before.  
“Anne I can’t even begin to tell you how much I want this. I love him. And I know he loves me too. I’ve been on the pill since I was 14 so I’m not particularly worried about consequences but even if the worst were to happen I know he would support me no matter what.” They loved each other; Anne had no idea what it was like to fall in love. She loved many people in her life, Diana included but this was different. If anything that seemed even more impossibly grown up than what Diana seemed to be planning and she laid her cheek against her knee.   
“Then... I’m so happy for you dearest.” And she sighed turning back around and acknowledged her internal thoughts up until this point “It must feel so wonderful to be in love and have that love returned.” Diana said nothing but nodded thoughtfully and resumed curling Anne’s hair. Anne started dreamily imagining her own Prince Charming... or maybe Princess? Fred didn’t strike her, in particular, as anyone’s Prince Charming. But he was good and kind, the solid and quiet sort of person people liked to have around. Anne was imagining someone who was tall and dark for herself, they could understand and reflect back the poetry that she felt in her soul. They would be calm and poised and able to speak the language of the flowers they would present her with every other week. Girlish dreams that still did remain a little young and naïve. Diana broke the silence and her into her thoughts again.

“Have you heard from Gilbert lately?” Anne tilted her head as Diana moved into another section of her head.  
“He messaged me the day after the my birthday…Basically just to say Happy Birthday. And we messaged briefly about a week ago on insta. The last he actually wrote to me was that he was going to meet Bash in Trinidad for a week between the tour he was on and the one that he was helping host. That’s where he’s from originally, did you know? Bash went down the end of March, while things were still slow and Mr. Lynde and Marilla looked after the farm. When he came back he mostly told stories about his mother but he did mention that Gilbert was tired looking. Not in that sad boy way he was before he left. Just like he had been working hard.”  
“That’s more than Fred knows. Do you know who that girl is in that one picture on Insta?” Anne knew what picture Diana was talking about. Gossip had flitted through the girls at school like little birds, tweeting away about the curvy, dark haired girl who tagged Gilbert in a photo. Josie in particular seemed very affronted. Anne didn’t understand why everyone was so obsessed with it. All it was was a girl on his back somewhere on top of a mountain. Sure she was kissing his face but it wasn’t even his picture. His mostly showed himself with different animals or in front of impressive scenery. Sometimes she was envious of the adventures he was having but life with the twins certainly made things interesting. Just last week Davy accidentally mashed her favourite concealer into the quilt Mrs. Lynde had made for her. It took her ages to get most of the oil stain out and she still thought that it would never quite fully disappear. She had told Gilbert the story and even sent him a picture of the mess to really exemplify the catastrophe.   
“He didn’t mention her.” Anne wouldn’t admit to Diana of stalking her on Instagram though. Her name was Christine, she was from Eastern Canada as well and her Instagram was loaded with photos. She seemed to have no issue uploading something basically daily, almost always a full body selfie. Anne wondered a little savagely whether she was down there to actually do something interesting or just to gain likes and follows.   
“There! Done” proclaimed Diana and Anne shook out her hair “you are truly a magician Diana” and she laughed  
“Your hair is basically curly Anne, I just tamed it a little”  
“I believe Marilla would sympathize with you about that dearest. She claims she was never so distracted as she was when I first arrived. Wild haired little urchin, she’s told me since…”  
“Let me just give you a little more mascara and touch up your winged tips…Perfect…take a look” and then looked around when they heard the door close below “My parents are home, remember, I’m staying with you tonight” Anne nodded turning her head back and forth in the mirror admiring the bold eyeliner and soft curls.  
“You really do have the touch Di, I look almost pretty” Diana rolled her eyes and started putting away the makeup  
“You ARE pretty you goose. I’m just accentuating it. And I’m not the only one who thinks so.” Anne looked questioningly over at Diana  
“Charlie Sloan was asking me earlier if you would be coming tonight and was practically telling me he wanted your number without actually asking but I thought I better leave that up to you and managed to deflect for now. ”  
“Well now I can rest easy since CHARLIE SLOAN believes I’m worthy of his Sloanishness” and both girls laughed gaily heading towards the stair to greet the Barry’s.


	9. May

3:20am GilBlythe:   
hEllo Anen  
missssss u

I dont suppose you kow what i could dod nect do yuo?

7:15am AnneWithAnE:  
???

***

From: G.J.Blythe@northshorehs.ed.ca  
To: A.Shirley@northshorehs.ed.ca  
May 20 5:00pm

Anne – sorry about that last random dm. I guess you’ll believe me when I say that I wasn’t exactly in a sober state of mind when I wrote that. I’m in Bogoto Columbia now. Just for a week I think. A friend from Groundswell was heading here for a school exchange this summer and told me to join them. I’m pretty much out of money now and wasn’t sure what to do next so I tagged along. The party scene is wild but the city is also really interesting. Bash has told me he could probably find some temporary work in Trinidad for me through family connections so I think I might do that if I can arrange it. I’m starting to miss home so between that and the lack of money the end of the road is near I guess. I don’t know if I’m ready for whatever waits me there but I can’t put it off forever either. The stories of Davy are sometimes the highlight of my day! Don’t stop sharing those. 

Gil

From: G.J.Blythe@northshorehs.ed.ca  
To: Seb.La.Croix.@gmail.com  
May 20 5:35pm

Bash – I think I’ll take you up on that offer and head to Trini for a month or so until I come back. You’re sure your mother won’t mind hosting me for a bit? I can contribute to the living expenses obviously and help with their farm work/work on your cousin’s boat. Whatever they think they need help with. I think I need to get away from some of the party and cool off before I come back. Let me know. I’m ready to get out of here.

To: Seb.La.Croix.@gmail.com  
From: G.J.Blythe@northshorehs.ed.ca  
May 22 7:15pm

Praise be he’s alive! Your girl was over here the other day and could barely keep track of those kids worrying over you getting drunk in Columbia. She won’t say it but I will. Be careful Blythe. I know you’ve been off by yourself for a while now but you’re still young and got a lot of living to do. Just remember that. My mother will be pleased to have you around. Give her someone to order about since I managed to escape. Go ahead and book your trip for whenever you want to leave. I’ll get things worked out and send you the details soon.

PS Marilla has agreed to let us use their barn for extra cash crop or hay, whatever we want, though it needs to be patched up. She says its better than it sitting empty and it’ll give you something to work on when you get back

From: G.J.Blythe@northshorehs.ed.ca  
To: Seb.La.Croix.@gmail.com  
May 22 7:20pm

She’s not my girl

To: Seb.La.Croix.@gmail.com  
From: G.J.Blythe@northshorehs.ed.ca  
May 22 7:22pm

You’d be happier if she was.


End file.
